Unrequited Love Maybe?
by AoiCherry
Summary: Sakura thought her comrades supported her. Now, she overheard her friends saying that she was weak. Hurt, she leaves Konoha and wanders around the nation to find a way to get stronger. However, she never expected the Akatsuki to help. ItaSakuSasu
1. Eavesdropping and Leaving?

**This idea of a new fic just popped into my head for some reason, and I just wanted to write it down before I forget it, so…. here it is.**

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**Eavesdropping and…Leaving?**

_Dream_

"_Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted out._

_Sasuke stopped walking, and turned around to face the pink haired kunoichi, greeting her by glaring at her._

"_What do you want?" demanded Sasuke._

_Sakura was taken aback. "I-I just wanted to ask you if…"_

"_The answer is no," said Sasuke, with a firm and impatient voice. _

"_B-But Sasuke-kun…"_

"_You know what, Sakura? You would prove to be a lot more useful as a kunoichi if you train more instead of flirting with me!" spat Sasuke._

_Sakura was shocked. "Sasuke-kun, I just wanted…"_

"_You're weak." Sakura's face turned from sad to shocked. The two words Sakura had heard a lot of times before. The two words that broke her. _

_Sasuke casually walked away, as if nothing had happened, leaving Sakura stiff and rigid as a board._

_Dream end_

"NO!" cried Sakura as she sat up quickly out of bed, tears rolling down her face. She looked around her room and wiped the tears off her face.

She closed her eyes and thought, _"That's right, Sasuke-kun left about two years ago."_

She opened her eyes again, and jumped out of bed. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed clothes.

"_I still have to go and help Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san sort out all the documents," _thought Sakura as she went out of her house and walked to the Hokage's tower.

Sakura was just going to open the door when to Tsunade's office, when she heard voices from inside.

"Naruto, Sai, Yamato, Kakashi. I'm going to break you up into two groups and assign each group a mission. Sai and Yamato, you'll be working with Shikamaru Nara and Ino Yamanaka. Naruto and Kakashi, you'll be working with Neji Hyuuga and… do you need Sakura? She's a medic nin and she might be…"

"She won't be necessary," said Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, what're you saying? Of course we need Sakura-chan," said Naruto.

"She's not strong enough to go on our mission Naruto. She's still weak," said Kakashi.

Outside, Sakura went rigid again. Her eyes widened as she stood still as a statue outside Tsunade's office.

"Whad'ya mean weak?! Haven't you seen the way she crushes…" Naruto was interrupted by Yamato.

"What Kakashi-sempai means is that Sakura needs to know how to control her emotions better."

"Sakura's strong physically, but not so much mentally. Still, she only uses her strength in combat. She needs to learn other varieties of jutsus," said Kakashi.

"Sakura-chan's a part of Team 7! She's been depressed since Sasuke left, but still, she's focusing on becoming stronger now!" Naruto defended Sakura.

"Which doesn't seem to be working for Ugly," said Sai.

"What did you say?!" exploded Naruto.

"All right, everyone, calm down. The question is, do you or do you not need Sakura for your mission?" asked Tsunade.

"No," said Kakashi, silencing Naruto with one hand.

"Ok. Then it's settled," said Tsunade.

Sakura was shocked, depressed, angry, but most of all, hurt. Tsunade, the woman who was like a mother to her, has just accepted the fact that she's weak. Kakashi, her favorite sensei, had just _called_ her weak, and he meant it.

The pink haired kunoichi couldn't take it anymore. She dashed out of the Hokage's tower and ran back to her house, tears falling down her face. On the way, she bumped into TenTen.

"Oh, Sakura. Sorry, I wasn't… what happened to you?" she asked sympathetically after looking at Sakura's face.

Sakura sniffed, "T-TenTen, how would you feel if someone you're really close to just said that you were weak and worthless?" she asked.

"Huh? I would be hurt. Wait… did Naruto tell you that you were weak? If he did, I'm gonna…"

"No no, it wasn't Naruto. He defended me, really. It was… Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato, and Sai. Why would they call me weak?!" Sakura cried on TenTen's shoulder.

TenTen patted her back and said, "Don't care about that Sakura. You're strong, I can see that. Just don't take other people's opinions to heart."

"Thanks TenTen, but I… gotta go now…. See you," said Sakura.

"Sakura, you sure you're gonna be okay?" asked TenTen, worried.

"Y-Yea, sure. I'll be fine," said Sakura, walking away from TenTen to her house.

"Arrgghh!! I can't believe this!" Sakura was throwing a fit, messing up her house, crasing windows and throwing furniture all around.

She panted heavily, trying to calm down.

"_They think I'm weak, huh? Maybe it'll be better if I just left Konoha. Maybe THEN I won't bother them," _thought Sakura. She took out a pencil and a piece of paper. She started scribbling furiously on the paper.

The note read:

To anyone who reads this, especially Kakashi, Yamato, Tsunade, and Sai,

I overheard your conversation at the Hokage's tower, and I have to say, do you really mean it? If I'm weak or a burden to you guys, I'm going to leave. I don't know where I'm going to go, but for sure, I'm going to get stronger, much stronger, physically and mentally. Naruto, I appreciate you defending me, but I still have to get stronger, to prove to the others that I am not a weak kunoichi. Good bye.

Sakura Haruno

Sakura folded the letter and left it on a table that hasn't been overturned, where someone would find it easily. She then went to her room, and packed some of her clothes and other accessories that she would need. She put them all in her bag, and jumped out her window, leaving Konoha behind.

"_Sorry guys, but this is to get stronger,"_ thought Sakura.

She was far away from Konoha now, and was starting to get tired.

"_No, I can't stop now. Maybe I _am_ weak. No, stay positive," _thought Sakura.

However, she decided to stop after traveling for so long. Sakura used her bag as a pillow, and lay down to sleep. As soon as she laid down, she fell asleep. So, she didn't see two shadows coming towards her.

"What do we have here?" one voice said.

"I know this girl. She's one of Kakashi's students," said another voice.

"Whad'ya think we should do with her?" asked the other person.

"Maybe we should take her back to our hideout. She might prove useful to us," replied the second person.

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**O_o I ended it with a cliffie, but I think you guys might be able to figure out who the two people are. I'll update if I can, soon! Plz read and review!**


	2. The Akatsuki

**It's winter break right now, so I just MIGHT be able to update more frequently. This is the next chappie, enjoy! Oh, and here's the disclaimer, which I USUALLY forget to write.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Naruto. If I did, Sakura would kick major butt even during her genin days, and Sasuke bastard would come back.  
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**The Akatsuki **

"speaking"

"_thoughts"_

"_**Inner Self"**_

Sakura's POV

I feel horrible. I opened my eyes to find darkness; not my comfortable room, or the trees or sky. I quickly sat up, and my eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. After a while, it was getting a bit clearer. However, I scanned my surroundings, and saw blood red eyes staring straight at me.

_"Sharingan. Is it Sasuke?" _

Then, I saw another pair of eyes. Concentric circles. Wait, concentric circles, meaning... Rinnegan! Meaning th-this is Akatsuki's lair! I jumped up and tried to find a way out and run, but before I could, someone restricted me from behind.

"I told you we should've killed her," a voice said. That person came up to me. I tried to break free, but I couldn't. I turned my head to see, Sharingan eyes. If this is Akatsuki, then this must be Itachi, Itachi Uchiha.

"Kisame, she just might be useful to us in providing information about the Nine Tailed Jinnchuriki," I heard the Uchiha say behind me.

"What makes you think that I would tell you anything about Naruto, Uchiha?" I retorted angrily. The older Uchiha twisted my arms, painfully.

"Be careful of what you say, girl," he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

_**"You could ask them to train us, make us stronger, and maybe give them little hints about Naruto." **_I was shocked at my Inner Self. My Inner would trade my friendship with Naruto, for strength and power? No way am I going to do that.

_**"What I mean was, first ask them to train you in exchange for information about Naruto, but try to put the sharing off. Just say that we're not telling anything until we're satisfied with the training, and the strength that we have aquired." **_

Not bad, Inner. One problem though. I doubt the Akatusuki will let me put off telling them about Naruto. But it's either that or die. I suppose I could give it a try.

"If you all train me maybe I might tell you some things about Naruto." I knew what I said had an impact on the listeners. One of the leader's eyebrow rose in interest.

"However, I need your word that you will train me and make me stronger. If I don't have your word, then consider Naruto's information not sharable. So, what do you say?" I continued.

"What do you think, leader-sama?" Kisame asked, turning toward their leader.

I could see that their leader was in deep thought. He had his eyes closed, and brought his hand up to his chin. Moments later, he opened his eyes again, and spoke.

"Do **we **have your word that you will share some information about the Kyuubi vessel?" I twitched. That guys has got some nerve calling my friend a vessel. Still, I kept my cool, and nodded. I think he saw me nod, at least.

"Good. So when do you want to start your training, Haruno-san?" the leader asked me.

"First of all, just call me Sakura, k? Second, how am I gonna address my training partners if I don't know their names? That includes you, leader. And third, mind letting me go, Uchiha-san?" I thought the Uchiha bastard wasn't going to release me, but surprisingly, he did. I rubbed my sore wrists and arms to soothe some of the pain.

"Of course, Sakura. All of you, come closer to her," ordered the leader. Perfect, my eyes are used to the darkness now. I could see the members of Akatsuki a bit more clearly now. What the? There's only one girl? Each of them came up and said their names. _Sasori, Deidara, Zetsu, Kisame, Itachi, Konan, Tobi. _Finally, the leader stepped up, and introduced himself. "Pein" he called himself.

"Welcome to Akatsuki, Sakura," said Konan, coming up to me. She seems... nice, I think.

"Thanks, Konan. So, I'm part of Akatsuki now?" I asked her.

"Of course. You're going to train with us, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah. So, do I have to wear your cloaks?"

"You don't really need to wear them. But, it shows that you're part of Akatsuki, so if you don't want to wear them during training, that's ok," Konan answered.

"Oh ok." I felt like... like this is going to be a new beginning for me. Training with the Akatsuki members, and not Team 7. The Akatsuki are skilled people. I know I'll get stronger, then I'll show **them** that I've become a better kunoichi.

"Sakura, you'll start your training tomorrow. Is that ok?" asked Konan.

"Of course." I can't wait to start my training. "So who's my training partner for tomorrow?"

"Me," a voice said. For sure it wasn't the sharky voice of Kisame, or the cold, bastard Uchiha voice. He's one of the members I've just met. I turned around, and saw that my partner was...

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**I left this at a cliffie. I'm gonna need at least 5 more reviews for me to post the next chappie. I've already decided on Sakura's first training partner though. Plz review if you want the next chappie to come out.**


	3. Getting to Know the Akatsuki'sRooms?

**Thank you all for your reviews! I appreciate them. Here's the next chappie for you. Thank you for reviewing: MiZmIzAndAsToOd, Hatarake Kurasa, Twilightxeclipse12, High Summoner Sakura, and I'm-Akemi-chan. Here's the next chapter. **

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"speaking"

"_thoughts"_

"_**Inner Self"**_

**Getting to Know the Akatsuki's... Rooms?  
**

Sakura POV

This was definitely one of the new faces I've just met. I turned around to see the red haired Akatsuki member, Sasori. This might be tricky, since I don't know what kind of jutsus he uses. (AN: Let's pretend that Sakura and Chiyo never fought Sasori.)

"So it's Sasori, huh? What time does my training start, and when?" My question was directed at Sasori, but Pein answered instead.

"Your training will start at seven o'clock sharp. Konan will come by your room, pick you up and show you where you will be training with Sasori. Right now, Konan, show Sakura to her room."

"Yes leader-sama. Sakura, come with me." I followed Konan, and soon found myself in a series of hallways. (AN: Like the time when Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Yamato were searching for Sasuke, opening door after door.) Konan led me through a lot of twists and turns in the hallways, when finally, she stopped outside a door. I wonder if I'll ever get used to the Akatsuki's headquarters. However, there _was_ more light, and that was an improvement.

"This is your room Sakura. Please take a look inside," offered Konan. I opened the door, and stepped into the room. My jaw dropped. It was beautiful. The walls were painted a pale pink, a wooden closet was available, along with a desk chair, and a lamp on the desk. I thought they would provide a room which was like a dungeon. I guess I was wrong.

"Konan-san..." I began, but she stopped me and said, "Just call me Konan."

"Ok, Konan, how did you all prepare a room like this for me?" I was confused. I thought the Akatsuki was an evil organization, but... I have received kindness from them, well, mostly Pein and Konan. I wonder how the others will turn out.

"Actually, when you were still sleeping, we all figured that we would keep you for a while, and everyone of us decorated this room for you. When you woke up, almost everyone of us were there, excluding two members, Hidan and Kakuzu. Leader-sama ordered them to finish up your room. So, decorating this room was a last minute decision," answered Konan.

"Oh, I see. Konan, can you show me the other members' rooms?" I'm curious... what are the other members interested in? Maybe I might learn a thing or two about them.

"Of course, Sakura. Here, the room across yours is Itachi's room. Do you want to go in?" Konan offered. I have to admit, I'm a bit scared. I only know that Itachi killed his clan a long time ago. I want to know what he has in his room, but I'm also afraid to go in. Still, curiousity got the better of me, and I decided to go in.

I turned the door knob, and walked inside. Half of myself was surprised, and my other half was not. Itachi's room consisted of a bed, desk, and chair, very similar to mine, and his walls were painted black. Also, there was no lamps or light, only a small window was available. Again, there was darkness. I wonder how he lives in here. Well, he has the sharingan, what should I expect?

I spotted something on his desk. I went there to have a closer look, and I saw that it was a picture. A picture of his family. I thought he killed his clan, and almost killed Sasuke. Why does he have a picture of his family? His parents, along with him carrying Sasuke on his back. Everyone in the picture was smiling.

I wonder if Konan knows anything about this. Maybe I shouldn't ask. It would be going into another person's deep, personal life. I'll just go to another room.

"Konan, can you show me Sasori's room?" Hopefully, I might be able to know more about Sasori's justsus. Konan led me to a room that was just two doors away from my room. I opened the door, walked in, and stared in awe. The room was filled with puppets, and some scrolls as well.

"K-Konan, Sasori has a heck of a lot of puppets. Does he use them for battles?" That's similar to Kankuro's style of fighting. Bashing puppets wouldn't be any problem, right? Damn, I can't underestimate my opponent.

"Yes. Sasori is the puppet master in the Akatsuki. Do you know that his grandmother lives in Sunagakure? Apparently, she was the one who taught him everything about puppets," said Konan. I never heard of an Akatsuki member's grandmother living in Suna. Ah well, at least now I know that Sasori fights with puppets.

"Konan, can you show me another room, please?" She led me to a room across Sasori's, which was Deidara's. I walked into the room, and my eyes were already bulging.

"Filled.... with.... with.... bags... of..." I stuttered out, unable to finish my sentence, so Konan had to finish it for me.

"Bags of clay? Clay strewn on the floor? Yes, Deidara uses clay as his weapon. Explosive clay, actually. Does it surprise you?"

_**"Hell yeah it does! Who would use clay as a weapon?!" **_Damn, my Inner Self is really hard to control sometimes... ok, a lot of times.

_"Shut it! And it's explosive clay, which is highly dangerous!" _My Inner Self is so annoying sometimes. But at other times, her explosive self comes in handy in combat.

"Sakura, do you still want to see the others' rooms, or do you want to rest for your training tomorrow?" I turned to look at her, and tried to recognize the time, but couldn't.

"Konan, what time is it?" I was expecting her to say nine in the morning or something like that, but to my surprise she said the almost-exact-opposite of that.

"It's almost five in the evening, Sakura." What the heck? How long have I been sleeping?!

"Okay... Still, I wanna see the others' rooms. Please Konan?" I'm pretty sure Konan'll show me the rest of the members' rooms, and I was right.

"Sure. Whose room do you want to go next? Tobi, Zetsu, Hidan, Kakuzu, leader-sama's, or mine?" Konan's room would be a good choice. She's the only girl in the Akatsuki, apart from me, and I think getting to know her better is a smart decision.

"Your room, Konan. I'm curious." Konan led me to a room that was right beside mine. That's convenient. If I need any help, I could just go next door.I looked in her room, and saw lots and lots and lots of paper, and origami.

"Konan, do you like origami?"

"Yes, making them is my hobby, and I use them as weapons too. Surprised, Sakura?"

_**"Duh, of course we're surprised, Konan! Paper as a weapon? It's as strange as using clay as a weapon!" **_My Inner Self really needs to shut it.

_"I can bet Konan's really strong, and her style's unique! So shut it, Inner!"_

"Konan, you must be unique. I've never known, seen, or heard of a person who uses origami or paper as a weapon. Is it dangerous?" 'Is it dangerous'... what a stupid question.

"Paper and origami may seem useless in battle, but if you can use it the right way, they're pretty effective." Konan took a piece of paper from her room, and quickly folded it into a bird. Now, origami doesn't have life, at least that was what I thought anyway. However, the bird in Konan's hands began to flap its wings, and circle around the room. I gaped.

"You're probably thinking origami isn't alive, right? It usually isn't. I think I'm the only one who can do these kind of things."

"Wow, you really are unique, Konan. I wonder if I can do what you can." I really wanted to be like Konan. She must be really strong. How am I, a useless kunoichi from Konoha, going to fit in with insanely skilled Akatsuki members?

"Sakura, you should go back to your room. Your fight with Sasori is tomorrow, and you're going to need lots of rest. He's very skilled in using his puppets, so you should be careful. I'll show you the others' rooms when I have time, and when you're free, ok? See you in the morning tomorrow, Sakura."

I walked out of Konan's room, and went to mine. I had nothing to do, so I just laid in my bed. I tried to go to sleep, but the image of the photo I saw in Itachi's room came floating in my mind. A thousand questions came along with it as well. Why did he have that picture in his room? Does he regret killing his clan? I was up for a long time trying to figure out possible answers for my questions.

Sadly, I just couldn't get anything out of it. Why? What's with the picture? Damn, Itachi's a really mysterious character. Kinda like Sasuke when I first met him. Great, I think it's almost 10:30. I think I'm gonna try to sleep now.

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**So... The next chapter is gonna be Sasori and Sakura's fight (duh!) I'm gonna need at least 5 reviews to continue. Ja ne!**


	4. The Teammates See the Light!

**Here's the next chappie! A big thanks to my reviewers! Cookies for you, High Summoner Sakura, MiZmIzAndAsToOd,I'm-Akemi-chan, and 9tailedemonfoxonbu.**** Plus, thanks for being patient with my really late update! By the way, I'm NOT putting in the Sasori vs. Sakura fight in this chapter just yet! I'm saving it for the next chapter.  
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**"speaking"

"_thoughts"_

"_**Inner Self"**_

**The Teammates See the Light!   
**

Sakura's Dream in her POV

I opened my eyes to see... sunlight? Trees? I thought I was in my room, in Akatsuki's hideout.

"Sakura, Sakura! Does this look like the herb you need? Hey, Sakura, come on, get up! You won't find the herb you need if you don't help us." Konan? Herb? What's going on? What am I finding? I sat up, my vision a little bit blurred. I sat up, and found Konan crouching in front of me, holding the herb right in front of my face.

"Konan? Uh... what's that herb for?" Geez, what's happening here, anyway? Konan's face showed confusion first, then smiled.

"Isn't this the herb you were looking for? I thought this one would help in finding a cure to Sasori's poison. If it isn't, then... well, it's of no use to us, is there? Hopefully, Itachi's faring better than we are." An antidote... for Sasori's poison? Wait, if I'm going up against Sasori, and Konan, Itachi, and I are searching for herbs to make a cure, then, Sasori uses a type of poison which is... right now uncurable? So, if I get that poison in my system, then... ARGH!

"Sakura, come on, help me find the herb you're looking for. You were lucky you didn't breathe in any of Sasori's poison fog. But still, a cure won't hurt, will it?" *Sigh* Things are going so well right now. I feel close to the Akatsuki already. Konan's really kind, and she's really strong too.

I picked myself up, and went over to help Konan, when I suddenly saw Itachi coming towards us with a handful of herbs.

"Sakura, are these the right herbs? I picked out the ones that fit your description the most." Um... what was the description anyway? I don't even know about Sasori's poison. I was just about to reply, when I saw Konan stiffen.

I walked towards her, laid a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Konan, what's wrong?" She just stood up, and placed her arms around me protectively. She glanced at Itachi, and his face showed annoyance first, then slight anger. It looks like the two of them were communicating telepathically.

Before I could ask what was going on, I heard the rustling of leaves. I turned my head towards the trees, and saw four shadows approaching. I could barely make them out, though. As they came closer, I could see them, and one of them stood out from the rest.

A boy, the same age as me, with spiky dark hair, with piercing onyx colored eyes was coming towards me, Itachi, and Konan. Sasuke, my former teammate, now a missing nin... like I am. When he had completely revealed himself, and spotted Itachi, he smirked.

"Karin, you're right on target. You're a big help to tracking down Itachi," said Sasuke, turning to face a red head beside him.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. It's my pleasure." Ugh, her voice sounds so sickly sweet, it makes me wanna puke! But then, I used to be like her... fawning over Sasuke, always... But not anymore!

I felt Konan tugging on my arm, trying to get me to safety before the bloodshed begins. But I didn't want to be safe, no. I wanted to fight Sasuke, prove to him that I AM NOT a weak fangirl anymore! Sasuke and Itachi were having a glaring showdown. My former teammate pulled his katana out of its sheath, but Itachi just stood there, calm and composed.

Konan was still trying to get me to move, but I held my ground. I watched as the Sasuke charged at Itachi, holding a chidori charged katana. Itachi on the other hand was just standing there, waiting for the attack. I stopped resisting, but struggled free from Konan, and bolted towards the two brothers who were about to kill each other.

I couldn't just let Itachi or Sasuke die! Sasuke was my teammate and friend. Even if he did betray the village, I can't just let him die! I also promised Naruto that we would get Sasuke back to the village together, alive, not dead. Itachi's mysterious, and we just got to know each other better. I can't lose either of them this way!

Now, in a situation like this, the smart thing to do would be to either push the victim out of the way, or block the attack, which is impossible since the katana was charged with chakra! Instead, I had to stand right in front of Itachi just as Sasuke's katana plunged through my chest.

I looked at Sasuke, straight in the eyes, but it showed nothing, completely void of emotion or sadness. Well, that's typical of Sasuke anyway. Why would I expect him to show emotion anytime soon? I could feel my eyelids getting heavy. So this is the end huh? I gave in, and as I fell, I could tell Itachi caught me. This is the end... the end...

Dream End scene still in Sakura's POV

I opened my eyes, and sat up in my bed quickly, sweating like crazy. Ah... it was just a dream. Just a dream, but it felt so real. I shook my head to maintain myself, and saw that it was already morning. Wait, morning? Then... my training with Sasori.... dammit!! I had on my clothes before I slept yesterday, so I didn't need to change. But I thought Konan was supposed to get me. Nevermind, maybe she forgot! I'll just have to search for the training grounds myself.

_**"We're gonna be in even bigger trouble if we're really late," **_My Inner said in a sing-song voice. Great, just great.

_"Why don't you shut it, Inner, and let me find the training grounds myself?" _Humph, that should do it. My Inner's quiet now. Argh, I'm gonna get killed if I don't get there seven o'clock sharp!

With Konan in her POV

It's morning already? Oh, and Sakura and Sasori's training too. Hm... yes, it's 6:45 a.m, so I should wake Sakura up now. I got out of my bed, and changed into my Akatsuki cloak. I wonder when Sakura will be finally be an official Akatsuki member.

I knocked on Sakura's door, and called out, "Sakura? Wake up, it's training time." There was no answer. I got worried, and called out again, "Sakura? Are you awake? Is someone in there?" No one, NO ONE can find the Akatsuki hideout. But why isn't she answering? So, I just opened the door, which was unlocked, and entered her room. I couldn't see anyone, but I could tell from the bed that she scrambled out in a hurry.

_"Ha ha. Sakura's just too panicky. She must have went to find the training grounds herself. Oh well, I'll just meet her there then." _I closed the door behind me as I went out of Sakura's room, and headed to the training grounds.

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In Konoha Naruto's POV

Argh, why did baa-baa (AN: That's what Naruto calls Tsunade, right?)call me to the Hokage Tower at this time in the morning?! I still wanna sleep for God's sake! Still, there's no arguing with Tsunade baa-baa. I reached the tower, and walked up to her office. I opened the door, and was surprised to see Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taijou (AN: Spelling for "taijou" alright?), and that jerk Sai. To top it off, Tsunade baa-baa's face showed shock, sadness, and guilt all mixed in. She was reading a note held in her hands as well.

"What did you call all of us in for, Tsunade baa-baa?" The Hokage raised her head up, and without saying anything, handed the note to Kakashi-sensei. Curious, I also went over to read it. All of us were huddled around, reading the note. It said:

To anyone who reads this, especially Kakashi, Yamato, Tsunade, and Sai,

I overheard your conversation at the Hokage's tower, and I have to say, do you really mean it? If I'm weak or a burden to you guys, I'm going to leave. I don't know where I'm going to go, but for sure, I'm going to get stronger, much stronger, physically and mentally. Naruto, I appreciate you defending me, but I still have to get stronger, to prove to the others that I am not a weak kunoichi. Good bye.

Sakura Haruno

"N-No way. S-Sakura-chan... left?" I managed to sputter out a question. She heard our conversation, meaning... she heard that her own team called her weak. I knew they should've kept their mouths shut!

"Yes Naruto. She left," answered Kakashi-sensei. I couldn't believe it. Not her too. First Sasuke, now Sakura-chan. Why are people who are on my team leaving all of a sudden? Without thinking, I grabbed Tsunade baa-baa, and shouted at her.

"If we'd taken Sakura-chan on that mission, and never had that talk about her being weak, she never would've left! And I can't believe you," I turned my head towards Kakashi-sensei and continued, "Kakashi-sensei, would even **think** that she's weak!"

Then, I felt myself being restrained by Yamato-taijou.

"Naruto, calm down. This is not going to help in any way." Yamato-taijou's right. I tried to calm down, but some flickers were still left. I've only read the letter once, but I alrady have it in my head. Weak... you're not weak, Sakura-chan, you're not. I'll bring you back, along with Sasuke, no matter what it takes! This follows my promise of a lifetime.

* * *

**Please review this chappie! I think I'll put the Sasori vs. Sakura part in the next chapter. ^_^ Review please!**


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